Drake Bulldogs Fall to Iowa Hawkeyes Despite Katie Dinnebier’s Career-High 40 Points

The Drake Bulldogs women’s basketball team put up a valiant effort but ultimately fell to the Iowa Hawkeyes 86-73 on Sunday afternoon at the Knapp Center in Des Moines, Iowa. The game was part of a celebration marking 50 years of intercollegiate women’s basketball at Drake.

Katie Dinnebier of the Bulldogs had a standout performance, scoring a career-high 40 points. She went 8-for-17 from the field, including 7-of-15 from 3-point range, and made 17 of her 20 free throws. Dinnebier’s performance included drawing 13 fouls and setting career highs in 3-pointers and free throws, with the 17 free throws tying the third-best total in Drake history and matching the Division I high for the season.

Despite Dinnebier’s impressive game, the Bulldogs struggled in other areas. They were outscored 46-10 in the paint and shot a season-low 28.6 percent from the field. No other Drake player scored more than seven points, with Courtney Becker contributing seven points and seven rebounds, and Anna Miller grabbing 10 rebounds but struggling with her shot, going 1-for-17.

The Iowa Hawkeyes, led by senior Addi O’Grady, secured their fourth win of the season. O’Grady had a career-high 27 points and 10 rebounds, earning her second career double-double. Other significant contributors for Iowa included Lucy Olsen with 18 points, Hannah Stuelke with 16 points, and Teagan Mallegni with 13 points. Iowa dominated the boards and had a strong second quarter, outscoring Drake 24-10 to take control of the game.

The victory marked Iowa’s 21st win in the last 22 games against Drake and improved their record to 4-0 under new head coach Jan Jensen, who faced her alma mater for the first time as a head coach. Jensen, who played for Drake from 1987 to 1991, was emotional about the game, reflecting on her connection to both teams.

Drake will continue their challenging schedule with a game at Iowa State next Sunday, followed by three games in San Juan, Puerto Rico.